Puppy Relations
Published on February 15, 2017, at 8:30 a.m.
by Melody Schmidt.
As future PR practitioners, we’ve definitely seen our fair share of interesting tactics through social media campaigns. With so many brands posting flashy pictures with snappy captions, it can be hard to find a niche that’s brand-specific but still reaches a large audience. American-made fashion brand Kiel James Patrick (or KJP for short) has found that niche through its newest canine addition, Bennie the golden retriever. Besides being man’s best friend, dogs can actually be a highly effective PR tool.
Often regarded as the modern-day Kennedys and frequently featured in spreads in Town & Country, Kiel James Patrick and Sarah Vickers are well-known for the glamorous lifestyle they’ve achieved through the “American dream”: building their immensely popular American-made fashion brand, KJP, from the ground up. But what all-American family would be complete without its quintessential symbol: a golden retriever? Their newest addition to the family, Bennie, has become immensely popular across social media as the unofficial “face” of the KJP brand.
Since her adoption in July, Bennie has been an integral part of KJP and Vickers’ respective Instagrams, even earning her own account with a social media following of almost 50,000. (To put that into perspective, KJP’s pet account for Puffin the cat only had a few thousand followers before Bennie “took over,” so to speak.) Bennie has also been frequently featured on KJP’s Snapchat and in posts on Sarah Vickers’ uber-successful fashion blog, Classy Girls Wear Pearls.
In her posts, Bennie is shown embarking on lots of different adventures, including exploring in the woods, going for rides in the family’s vintage cars and snuggling by the fireplace (all while promoting KJP’s products and lifestyle branding, of course). And who wouldn’t want to follow the adventures of such a sweet little golden?
Giving a voice to this little pup has not only been adorable, but a smart PR move for promoting KJP’s image and reaching new audiences. Promoting Bennie across all of these social media platforms has brought in dog lovers and potential customers alike to KJP’s brand and website. Bennie is the perfect choice for the KJP brand since her breed is representative of being “Made in America” and the American dream, which is synonymous with KJP’s brand identity and target audiences.
Months of branding and “puppy relations” led up to KJP’s launch of its All American Pet Collection in November. The line includes hand-painted leather dog leashes and collars and matching bandanas (or “flandanas”) that coordinate with men’s clothing on the KJP website. KJP plans to expand the line to include more luxury pet products in the near future.
Bennie seems to be a perfect fit for both the KJP family and brand; as for me, I’m excited to see what new adventures (both fun-loving and PR-related) that this puppy embarks on next.
